are all amps equal


I have recently gotten the Mcintosh bug, but a friend of my who does a LOT or reading on the net says power output is the answer not the name. I am looking for the best sound I can get in the 3k$ range for my Usher Be 718s. I have looked at many used Mcintosh units in the 200 watt plus output area, but my friend says a new 250 watt Emotiva would be a better value. The Emotiva is around $800.
I would like some imput.. Thanks, Don
keslerd
Keslerd, you'll be surprised at the wide range of price for interconnects, speaker/power cables and vibration isolators. Price to performance relationship tend to correspond much better for equipment than for these peripheral items. It might save you money to do a little internet research on how these peripheral performs (opinions from professional reviewers) before buying. When I began my venture into the expensive audiophile world, with equipment in the $1000-2000 range, peripherals at $50-100 seem to best serve the equipment. It works up in price as I slowly get better equipment. These peripherals are highly important to faithfully transport and protect the sound that your equipment is trying to give you, but you have to be careful on which one to pick so you don't loose that price edge advantage. Sorry if this comes a little late.
If you dampen the volume knob with gum, you have then opened up a NEW gate to Audio my friend.... Everything will be more liquid and real.
Hope this helps.
Over and out,thats a big ten four,what it is.
ILBT!!!
03-31-09: Keslerd
...I went over to Audio Advisor got some Black Mamba II, and spent even more. I no longer have just wire.
Good job. That Black Mamba II is worlds better than anything Bluejeans has to offer. Black Mamba rocks! And for your $100/meter pair you're going to get something that otherwise would run $150-200/pr. to achive.

As I said before, 6-nines copper plus monocrystal copper is the shiznit. Various architectures can help, but it's gotta start with the copper, and the Black Mamba gets that right.
All amps are NOT equal. I have tried quite a few, and they all sound different, even with the same speakers. Get you a good Audio Research amp, and you will forget all about McIntosh gear.